Cauliflower…Two Ways!

This is one of my favorite economical recipes that I’ve made recently. It allows you to use the same ingredients but prepared in two different ways to give it different flavors and textures. It is really easy to make and is great on its own as a main vegetarian meal or as an accompaniment to a piece of fish or chicken. I kept the ingredients minimal so you can whip it up in no time.

Roasted Cauliflower with Cauliflower Puree

Makes 3 Servings = 3 Points Plus

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Roasted Cauliflower:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 1 shallot, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, sliced
• 5 sun-dried tomatoes, re-hydrated in water (once tomatoes are in season feel free to use fresh tomatoes)
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 tbsp capers
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• salt and pepper, as needed

Cauliflower Puree:

• 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into small pieces
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, smashed
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 thyme sprigs
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup skim milk
• salt and pepper, as needed

Cauliflower Florets

I like to use my cast-iron pan for the roasted cauliflower, but any large, heavy-bottom sauté pan will work fine. First, pre-heat your oven to 350°F and heat your cast-iron pan to medium heat. Add your shallots and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Then add your sun-dried tomatoes, cauliflower, thyme sprigs, and fennel seeds and sauté for at least 5 minutes until lightly browned. Then add the chicken broth, bring the liquid up to a simmer, and place into the oven.

Roast the cauliflower for at least 15 minutes or until tender. Make sure to stir the cauliflower every 5 minutes or so. If the chicken broth evaporates and the cauliflower seems to be browning too quickly just add little more broth or water. Once the cauliflower is tender add the capers and finish with lemon juice.

Simmering Cauliflower

 

To make the puree combine the cauliflower, onion, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, bay leaf, thyme spirgs, chicken broth, and milk in a medium saucepot. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil (be careful because the milk can boil over) and then cover and turn it down to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes until the cauliflower and onions are tender.

Cooked Cauliflower for Puree

 

When the vegetables are tender, remove the bay leaf. Separate the vegetables from the liquid and add the vegetables to a food processor or blender (save the liquid). Begin to blend on low and slowly add the liquid to help puree the vegetables. Add enough liquid to create a smooth puree, as thick or thin as you like it. Season with salt and pepper if needed.

Pureed Cauliflower

I like to serve this with a big heaping serving of the puree and top it with the roasted cauliflower with an extra squeeze of lemon juice. Garnish with fresh herbs such as chives, basil, or parsley.

Garnish with Chives

 

Buttercup Squash Soup

One man’s trash is another man’s…squash soup?

 

This recipe reminded me of the terrible rumor that you shouldn’t get soup in a diner because it’s all the leftovers from the kitchen that are “on their way out.”

 

I still order soup in diner but the thought itself came in handy because in this instance I made this soup with all leftovers! I had roasted some squash the other night for dinner and had been eating it for 3 nights straight and I couldn’t handle another night of it. So I decided to turn my squash overkill into something that was delicious and so low in points it’s crazy!

Buttercup Squash Soup

Makes 4 servings

1 serving = 1 cup

1 cup = 2 Points Plus

 

The ingredients are minimal:

 

• 1 cup red onion, diced
• ½ cup carrot, diced (I actually used baby carrots—because that’s what was in my frig)
• ½ cup celery, diced
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 4-5 sprigs of thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 # winter squash (I used buttercup but you could use butternut, acorn, or even frozen squash)
• ½ cup of chicken broth (fat-free)
• 5 cups of water
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper, to taste
• Optional: fat-free sour cream or fat-free plain Greek yogurt

 

The key to this soup is to caramelize your mirepoix (onions, carrots, and celery, and in this case also the scallions). By caramelizing your mirepoix you are adding a new depth of flavor and complexity to your soup. If your vegetables begin to stick to the bottom of the pan…add water not fat!

Continue cooking until golden brown. Add your garlic, bay leaves, and thyme. Then add your squash, chicken broth, and water. Season with cayenne, cumin, salt, and pepper and bring the soup up to a boil. Knock it back down to a simmer and let it go for about 30 minutes or until all the veggies and squash are nice and tender.

When the veggies and squash are ready turn off the heat and let the soup hang out for 15-20 minutes. Letting the soup cool a bit before blending will prevent any splatters or accidents.

 

I used my blender to puree the soup but you can use a food processor or an immersion blender.

 

You may need to add some water (or chicken stock) depending on the consistency that you want to achieve when blending.

So now you leftovers have become something new and exciting. Garnish with some fat-free sour cream or plain Greek yogurt! Mmmmmm